Real estate agents often commission me to paint home portraits as closing gifts for both their sellers and buyers. However this particular watercolor painting was not your typical closing gift!
Turtle Creek Koi Pond was once located in the backyard of a private home in Farmington Hills, Michigan. After 30+ years, the homeowners sold the property and their beloved koi fish had to be relocated to Belle Isle Conservancy.
The realtor saw how the family was struggling to lose their koi so she asked if I might paint the pond, rather than the house. I had never painted koi, or a pond (as far as I can recall), so I was excited to explore this new subject matter.
Water and all of its reflections can be very tricky to illustrate, especially in watercolor painting which requires leaving the white of the paper to shine through as the white in the painting (rather than applying white paint as in oil or acrylic). And there was an added challenge of making certain elements like the fish and rocks appear to be underneath the surface.
This wasn't a simple painting by any means but I'm so proud of how it turned out. And you'll notice I included just a hint of the bottom of the house itself in the painting. I also love the idea that now the family can hang this wherever they go and recall all the fond memories of their Turtle Creek Koi Pond.
To commission a custom watercolor painting, please visit JennyPaintsByHand.etsy.com
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